William Alexander Graham (1804-1875) Papers, PC.61

Papers of Graham, Hillsborough lawyer, legislator, U.S. senator, governor (1845-1849), secretary of the navy (1850-1852), including many letters from Graham to his wife Susan (1836-1873) concerning family matters, plantations, law practice, social and political scene; and to son William A. Graham (1866-1875) and friend David L. Swain (1864-1866). Letters to Graham are mostly from Whig friends and politicians of state and national prominence during the antebellum period and through secession, the Civil War, surrender of Raleigh, and Reconstruction. Also a letter from Brigham Young to Governor Graham seeking asylum for his persecuted followers (1845) and letters from Gov. Zebulon Vance on the peace movement (Aug. 13, 19, 24, 1863, and Jan. 1, 1864). Other subjects include Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, Florida claims under treaty of 1819, Commodore Perry's expedition to Japan, and William L. Herndon's exploration of the Amazon valley. There are reports on escheats to UNC trustees (1851), habeas corpus cases (1875), and proceedings of the trustees of the Peabody Fund (1875). Among many of Graham's printed and manuscript speeches on political and current issues are the arguments he delivered at the impeachment trial of Gov. W. W. Holden, 1871. Correspondents include Thomas S. Ashe, George E. Badger, Daniel M. Barringer, Kemp P. Battle, John M. Berrien, John Berry, Frederic S. Blount, Robert H. Booth, James W. Bryan, John H. Bryan, Henry K. Burgwyn, Edward R. S. Canby, Nicholas Carrol, Henry Toole Clark, Henry Clay, Charles M. Conrad, Thomas Corwin, Andrew C. Cowles, J. J. Crittenden, Thomas P. Devereaux, Dorothea L. Dix, Weldon N. Edwards, Edward Everett, William P. Fessenden, Millard Fillmore, William H. Foote, Edmund P. Gaines, Seaton Gales, Weston Gales, William Gaston, John A. Gilmer, R. H. Graves, Edward J. Hale, Lewis Hanes, William H. Haywood, John D. Hyman, Charles L. Hinton, Levi Silliman Ives, Reverdy Johnson, Hamilton C. Jones, Joseph Seawell Jones, George Little, Willie P. Mangum, George C. Mendenhall, Augustus S. Merrimon, John Motley Morehead, Robert Hall Morrison, Victor Moreau Murphey, James W. Osborne, Richmond Pearson, Samuel S. Phelps, Samuel F. Phillips, Romulus M. Saunders, Barnas Sears, Augustine H. Shepperd, William T. Sherman, Alexander Stephens, Jacob Siler, Cornelia P. Spencer, Edward Stanly, David L. Swain, Roger B. Taney, Hugh Waddell, Daniel Webster, John Hill Wheeler, Calvin H. Wiley, Jonathan Worth, David L. Yulee. Many documents have been published in J. G. de Roulhac Hamilton and Max R. Williams (eds.), The Papers of William Alexander Graham, 1825-1865, 6 vols. (Raleigh, 1957-1976). Other W. A. Graham papers are in the Southern Historical Collection, UNC.

Container Count

6 Boxes

William Alexander Graham, 1804-1875

Graham, Susan

William Alexander Graham, Jr.

Swain, David L., 1801-1868

Young, Brigham, 1801-1877

Holden, W. W. (William Woods), 1818-1892

Vance, Zebulon Baird, 1830-1894

Herndon, William

Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858

Ashe, Thomas S.

Badger, George E.

Barringer, Daniel M.

Battle, Kemp P. (Plummer), 1831-1919

Berrien, John M.

Berry, John

Blount, Frederic S.

Booth, Robert H.

Bryan, James W.

John Heritage Bryan, 1798-1870

Burgwyn, Henry K.

Canby, Edward R. S.

Carrol, Nicholas

Clark Henry Toole, 1808-1874

Clay, Henry, 1777-1852

Conrad, Charles M.

Corwin, Thomas

Cowles, Andrew C.

Crittenden, J. J.

Devereaux, Thomas P.

Dorothea Lynde Dix, 1802-1887

Edwards, Weldon N.

Everett, Edward

William Pitt Fessenden, 1806-1869

Fillmore, Millard, 1800-1874

Foote, William H.

Gaines, Edmund P.

Gales, Seaton

Gales, Weston

Gaston, William

Gilmer, William A.

Graves, R. H.

Hale, Edward J.

Hanes, Lewis

Haywood, William H.

Hyman, John D.

Hinton, Charles L.

Ives, Levi Silliman

Johnson, Reverdy

Jones, Hamilton C.

Jones, Joseph Seawell

Little, George

Mangum, Willie P.

Mendenhall, George C.

Merrimon, Augustus S.

Morehead, John Motley, 1796-1866

Morrison, Robert Hall

Murphey, Victor Moreau

Osborne, James W.

Pearson, Richmond

Phelps, Samuel S.

Phillips, Samuel F.

Saunders, Romulus M.

Sears, Barnus

Shepperd, Augustine H.

Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891

Stephens, Alexander H. (Hamilton), 1812-1883

Siler, Jacob

Spencer, Cornelia P. (Phillips), 1825-1908

Stanly, Edward

Taney, Roger B.

Waddell, Hugh

Wheeler, John Hill

C. H. (Calvin Henderson) Wiley, 1819-1887

Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852

Worth, Jonathan, 1802-1869

Yulee, David L.

Hamilton, J. G. de Roulhac

Williams, Max R.

Whig Party (U.S.)

Governors

Lawyers

Japan